Why We Worship the Way We Do

Have you ever stopped to ask why we do what we do in worship? Why is our service ordered the way it is? And what exactly is happening when we gather together? This coming Sunday, during our combined Grow Class, we will be addressing these very questions as we discuss the topic of worship. Our aim will be to show that the weekly gathering of God’s people is the most important thing you will do all week. As a preview of that class, I want to use this blog to reflect on the elements of worship and the unique purpose each one serves.

When God’s people gather each Lord’s Day, we are doing something far more profound than attending a meeting or singing songs together. We are actually entering into the presence of the living God as His covenant people. From beginning to end, worship is patterned after the gospel itself: God calls, we respond; we confess, He forgives; He speaks, we listen; He feeds, we are strengthened; He blesses, we go out. This rhythm is not man-made but grounded in Scripture. Each element of worship has biblical roots and serves as part of God’s gracious dialogue with His people.

Our services typically follow a pattern that includes announcements, call to worship, prayer, congregational singing, giving, the reading and preaching of Scripture, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and finally, a benediction. While announcements are not strictly part of worship, they begin by reminding us that the church gathers as a family. They highlight the ways God is at work among us and the opportunities we have to serve, grow, and encourage one another. For this reason, we treat announcements as preparation rather than worship itself. Afterward, we pause in silence to ready our hearts for entering the presence of God.

God Speaks

The service formally begins with the call to worship. In Scripture, God repeatedly summons His people to assemble before Him (Deut. 4:10; Ps. 95:1–7). As Psalm 100 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!” (v. 4). Just as God called Israel to gather at Sinai (Ex. 19) and later to hear His Word in Nehemiah’s day (Neh. 8), so He calls His church today through His Word. In this way, corporate worship unfolds like a conversation—God speaks, and His people respond.

God speaks first through the public reading of Scripture. Paul commanded Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” (1 Tim. 4:13). From Ezra’s day onward (Neh. 8:1–3), God’s people have gathered around His Word, because His voice, not ours, governs worship. 

God also speaks through the preaching of the Word. The Second Helvetic Confession famously states: “The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.” This means that when God’s Word is faithfully preached, it is not merely a human speech, but Christ Himself speaking through His appointed heralds. Paul captures this in Ephesians 2:17 when he says that Christ “came and preached peace” to the Ephesians, even though Jesus never visited that city in His earthly ministry. The gospel was preached through the apostles, and through them, it was Christ Himself speaking. By extension, the same is true for the ministers of God’s Word today.

God also speaks to us through the ordinances. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are visible words of the gospel. In baptism, God testifies to cleansing, union with Christ, and adoption into His family (Rom. 6:3–4). In the Lord’s Supper, God proclaims His promise of nourishment and communion with Christ (1 Cor. 11:26). These are not empty rituals but visible sermons declaring God’s covenant promises.

Finally, God has the last word in the benediction. Unlike a prayer, the benediction is a declaration of God’s blessing, sending His people out with His grace and peace (Num. 6:24–26; 2 Cor. 13:14).

We Respond

Of course, God does not only speak; His people also respond. We respond to His Word in prayer, as the pastor leads the congregation in intercession and supplication (1 Tim. 2:1; Eph. 1:17–19). We respond through singing, which is corporate prayer set to melody. Paul commands, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). Singing is not about entertainment or self-expression—it is the church’s unified response of praise and thanksgiving.

We also respond through giving. Paul instructed the church, “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside” (1 Cor. 16:2). Giving is not primarily about funding programs; it is an act of worship, declaring that all we have belongs to the Lord (Ps. 24:1) and expressing gratitude and trust (2 Cor. 9:7).

When taken together, these elements of worship form a gospel-shaped pattern. God calls, forgives, speaks, feeds, and blesses; we listen, confess, pray, sing, give, and go out with joy.

Worship is not random but ordered by God’s Word, designed to renew His covenant with His people and to equip us for lives of faith and obedience. That is why the weekly gathering of the church is the most important thing you will do all week.